I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, why oh why won’t Lucasarts make Star Wars Battlefront 3? With the enormous success of the series, it’s sure to sell millions of copies, and bring welcome relief to a Star Wars fanbase desperate for a return to the classic gaming of the series (especially after the lukewarm The Force Unleashed).

So, here’s hoping this announcement is the beginning of a good thing, here’s hoping that this means Lucasarts has finally started listening to its fans (like me) and is going to announce the next Battlefront.  (Otherwise, I’d settle for Knights of the Old Republic 3, or even Republic Commando 2. But if it’s Super Bombad Racing 2, I’ll not be happy. Take note George!)

Here’s the teaser, which doesn’t give much away:

Take notice of these two picture stills. One shows Luke Skywalker, apparently on Hoth, wielding his lightsaber- much like the Hoth battles of Battlefront 2, but with vastly improved graphics. The other shows a section of cutscene I’m not familiar with, but which bears a resemblance to cutscenes leaked onto the internet last year, allegedly from Battlefront 2’s single player.

Luke Skywalker, possibly on Hoth - and looking a lot like his Battlefront 2 counterpart...

Three stormtroopers on patrol, right before they get blown up.

Am I right or wrong? Watch this space!

The eponymous Thunderbirds of the title are the high-tech craft belonging to International Rescue, an organisation set up by ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy devoted to saving the lives of people in trouble. He enlisted his five sons in the organisation, giving each a Thunderbird of their own, and based them all on his personal shangri-la - Tracy Island. The brains of the organisation was excentric genius Hyram Hackenbacker, also known as Brains, who built and designed Tracy Island’s launch bays, and came up with the designs for the Thunderbirds themselves.

Models of the Thunderbirds. One of the many varieties of Thunderbirds merchandising.

The Thunderbirds: 

Thunderbird 1:

High speed, reactionary aircraft piloted by Scott Tracy. Designed to reach the ’danger zone’ first and set up a base camp.

Thunderbird 2:

Heavy freight aircraft used to carry IR’s rescue equipment to the danger zone, also carried TB4 in Pod 4. Piloted by Virgil Tracy.

Thunderbird 3:

Spacecraft designed to mate with TB5- the overwatch space station – and used in space rescue missions, Piloted by Alan Tracy.

Thunderbird 4:

Submarine piloted by Gordon Tracy, used for underwater rescue and recon missions.

Thunderbird 5:

Overwatch space station orbiting the earth. Intercepts rescue calls and coordinated IR response. Often manned by John Tracy.

But it wasn’t just the outlandish vehicles and situations International Rescue faced which so captivated me in my youth, it was the entire production process, the detailed models the team created, and the home-built feel of the entire experience I found so remarkable. Gerry and Silvia Anderson and their team crafted Thunderbirds with love and affection, and it shows through every time.

Sure, everything in the Thunderbirds series seems to be powered by atomic reactors (it was the 60s after all), and everything is clearly labelled, so the audience can tell what that giant lever is supposed to do. And yes, you can see the strings, but that didn’t matter. The stories were enticing, the voice acting was brilliant and the whole experience would keep you coming back for more, time after time, and that’s why Thunderbirds is still so flipping fun to enjoy today, even as I head into my 20s- It’s just perfect.

Here’s a clip that will tell you what I mean – Fireflash, an atomic-powered airliner, has a bomb attached to its undercarriage and cannot land by normal means. While the airliner can stay in the air indefinitely, thanks to its incredibly unsafe reactor the passengers will receive a lethal dose of radiation and die if the plane is still flying two hours into operation (slight design flaw there…) So International Rescue are called in, and this happens:

Just look at the love put into the model of Fireflash, the brilliant effects for its time, the tension in the air in the control tower- it’s a masterpiece, and this is only the first episode.

Shame this happens to the mighty aircraft in a later episode:

So yes, while Thunderbirds may now seem hopelessly old and clunky, it was the most influential children’s TV programme of my childhood, and it was made 20 years before I started watching it as a kid. It’s timeless.

Thanks Gerry, Sylvia and the rest of the team, for the memories.

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson with some of the production team

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Ok, here we go, my review of the most hyped game of the year, the game that has critics everywhere up in arms and shouting their joy to the sky – and my reaction to this juggernaut of gaming?

“‘The game of the decade’ screams one review, ‘flawless’ shouts another, but from my underground bunker near London, the best I can say of Modern Warfare 2 is ‘It’s pretty good.’”

Honest truth, or harsh judgement? You decide!

My Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review is online at Some Game Reviews (SGR).

Enjoy!

After what was a fairly boring Friday shift last week, I suddenly got a random invite to head down a surprise game preview, hosted at a bar in London’s not-really-sparkling Borough High Street.

On show was the latest build of Avalanche Studios’ boomfiesta Just Cause 2, the sequel to the sadly flawed Just Cause.

Rico, Just Cause 2's lead male, doing an impression of a 747.

From what I saw of the game it looked to be a really enjoyable third-person blaster, and the giant heads of Magnus Nedfors, game director, and Peter Johansson, lead game designer, popped in via webcam to answer a few questions, including: “Boats + grappling hook = waterskiing?” Which turned out to be a “no”, sadly.

Here’s my article about the event, Just Cause 2 Preview, which is now online over at Some Game Reviews. Read and enjoy!

Well the day is finally here.

After what seems to be years of non-stop speculation, videos, screenshots and controversy, Infinity Ward’s massive moneymaker, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, has finally hit the store shelves of Britain – and just like Activision planned, the public have gone mad for it.

‘Twas ever thus, however. Activision are an incredibly clever company, expert at whipping up public interest and Parliamentary controversy in equal measure, and however well the game plays the company knew that people would pay anything to get their hands on it. Just think about it:

1. ‘Leaked’ footage on the internet shows a controversial and shocking scene (I won’t explain- spoiler alert) - thereby getting the game into the headlines and discussed in Parliament.
2. Limited video and screenshot exposure – keeping curious and obsessive gamers glued to the company’s press office.
3. A massive, highly controversial price hike on the standard edition of the game – because they know people will buy it.

Basically, Activision are sitting on a cash cow of epic proportions, and it’s all been built up to a thunderhead by skilled PR professionals.

Luckily as I’m a game critic I’m largely immune to the hype, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the game now my review copy has arrived (after the release date – more careful planning by Activision…), so time will tell whether the game is any good, or is just more of the same COD action Infinity Ward does so well- watch this space kids!

On the other hand… here’s the launch trailer (that’s right, im a media whore.)

Happy Friday!

After what’s been a pretty stressful week, I’m thoroughly looking forward to chilling out and not doing anything more strenuous than going shopping (on the Sunday, not the Saturday- it’ll be hell), and watching TV in bed. Though I am considering going into the Big Smoke on the Sunday and watching the Remembrance Day parade – for once I can actually go and pay my respects in person, rather than watching it on the TV!

So, in the spirit of Friday (and of relaxing at lunchtime), here’s my review of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, online at GameSlave. It was such a shame that this game was released early, with a couple of extra months of work it could have been something special.

Here’s the trailer, which paints the game in a much better light than it deserves:

Eurogamer 2009

Here’s a link to the article I put together for SGR: Eurogamer 2009 Roundup. Also, here’s a link to the special edition podcast Colin and I put together over a couple of beers (just kidding, it was a cup of tea each) after we got back from the Expo- we were all the happier for the shiny Left 4 Dead 2 T-shirts we had just acquired!

Here’s what we talked about:

Listen and enjoy! Leave a comment if you’ve got a question.

Ah, videogame weapons, the heart and soul of any good game. Ranging from the brilliant (Red Faction Guerilla’s Sledgehammer), to the obscene (Destroy All Human’s Anal Probe), they can make any game a blast. Here’s mu nominations fo my all time top three videogame weapons.

Number 3: The Taser (Syphon Filter 2)

The Syphon Filter series is a brilliant set of games, with a decent plot and some cracking action, but its true crowning glory is secret agent Gabe Logan’s personal weapon- the Taser.

Not a traditional police Taser, this version can shoot its wires obscenely long distances, latching on to enemies and electrocuting them even if Gabe’s on the ground and the enemies are on top of a high rise building. And it doesn’t stop there- hold the button down long enough and your unlucky enemy will literally burst into flames, before falling to a grizzly death. In sheer deadly form, the Taser has no equal.

Here’s a little montage of Gabe hard at work:

Number 2: Alex Mercer (Prototype)

Being a genetically enhanced superweapon, Alex Mercer, of the incredibly bloody game Prototype, can technically qualify for this list – after all, his entire body is a weapon.

Be it claws, a massive blade, chitinous armour, huge hammers, a whip or the ability to fly, Alex has the power to take on any occasion, and if things get a little too hot to handle he can always run up a building, jump over skyscrapers or grab the nearest person, punch their head off and transform into their form- the guy’s a brutal killer who is literally walking death, and more than deserving of the runner’s up spot on my top three list.

Witness the awesome power of the Prototype (not for the squeamish…)

Number 1: The Force (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)

I’m a Star Wars fan. There, I admitted it. So, imagine my joy when I heard of The Force Unleashed- the tragic tale of Darth Vader’s Apprentice. Then imagine that this man was one of the most powerful Force-users ever to walk the universe. A man so powerful that even the Emperor feared him- the man is a wrecking ball in human form.

The Force is powerful in anybody’s hands, but in the hands of the Apprentice it can do just about anything _ wrench doors off their hinges, fling Stormtroopers left and right, crush massive walkers into dust and even pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky, when the Apprentice comes to call, you’d best start running.

Truly a force to be reckoned with. The Force is the best videogame weapon ever devised, and deserves the top spot in my list.

Feel the force:

Don’t agree? Tell me what your top three videogame weapons are! Leave a comment.

I popped down to London’s swanky Excel Centre last weekend to take in the gaming nuggets offered up by the MCM Expo, the bi-annual festival of gaming, anime and manga. While I didn’t really understand half of the manga stuff on show (what does ‘free hugs’ mean? Answers on a postcard…) There were a few decent games on show, including Borderlands, Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction.

My report on the best of the expo is now online at Some Game Reviews, a new site set up by myself and my web developer and critic counterpart Colin Miller. Have a look and tell us what you think!

Also, here’s the video report from the last Expo, just to give you a taste of the general insanity of manga fans…

Fridays are a notoriously slow day in the Newsquest offices, so here’s a couple of things to lighten up your day if you’re as bored as I am.

First, here’s my review of Blood Bowl, a very strange little game which plays like cross between American Football and Gladiators. And here’s my review of the PC version of Red Faction Guerilla, which is just as much explodingly-good fun as the Xbox version, with the added bonus of the multiplayer not being entirely clogged with five-year-old whining and amazingly racist Americans. Both are online at Gameslave.

And, just to add a little icing on the cake, check this out- In my review of Grand Theft Auto 4 I bemoaned the lack of parachutes, base jumping, aircraft and the happy-go-lucky tone of the earlier games, so you can imagine how happy I was when I saw this:

“Z Games, so extreme we’re at the end of the alphabet!”

Awesome.